Charitable Organizations Help House Guatemalan Families
In many parts of Guatemala, you won't find anyone using luxury home plans to build their house. In fact, there won't be any plans at all. In many parts of Guatemala, homes are no more than huts with no utilities. Many families can't afford their own house, so they must live in a crowded rented room. While these families may be proud and hardworking, they simply don't have the money to afford decent housing.
And though they probably never will need those luxury house plans to build the house of their dreams, thankfully there are many kind souls out there that devote their time and money to helping those in need, just like the families crowded in substandard housing. These organization help secure land and financing for a new home, then construct the home using materials found locally, usually cement, iron, tin, metal, and wood. The result is similar to a house you would build with ranch home plans, minus the basement. They are strong structures, both in the materials used and the symbolism behind the construction. It's not just a new home being erected, it's a future.
Families that are lucky enough to receive these houses still must work to pay for them. They are homeowners, which means they must make monthly payments on the home's loan. Such an arrangement gives the family the feeling that they haven't just been handed a free ride-more like a little push. Putting the responsibility on the family to pay off the loan sends a good message: work for what you have and good things will come to you.
Programs like this are good for the whole community. Sometimes all it takes is a home to help create a stable home life, one where each member of the family is a productive member of society. With a roof over their heads, a family can be free to not have to worry about where they are going to sleep, or how they will be able to afford to keep their children safe at night. A home gives a family a foundation, and families with foundations are the roots of a strong community.
Those who build their homes using contemporary house plans may scoff at those that receive houses via these charitable organizations, but they are misguided. History is filled with examples of members of the community who have gone on to bigger and better things once they've received the helping hand a charitable house can bring. There's no shame in wanting to do better for your family, and getting a charitable donation is no different.
In fact, each success story that comes out of such programs is just another person that can spread more positive energy around their community. Helping others is infectious, and one look around Guatemala shows many signs of people helping each other. Perhaps one day, each recipient of these charitable homes may give something back, and give another person the boost they once received.
